Legislative Analysis

Virginia's citizen legislators need good, independent analysis of proposed and suggested legislation, as well as analysis of the reports of legislative study commissions, in order to better represent the voters in their districts and in our Commonwealth. Our legislators are part-time and they have very limited staff. Consequently, they need credible and practical analysis of legislative initiatives from a non-partisan, yet philosophical, perspective. This Thomas Jefferson Institute Center offers this analysis and original research to our state legislators.

September 2017

Jefferson Journal: Next Steps for DACA — By Chris Braunlich President Obama's Executive Order on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) was clearly unconstitutional and deserved to be upended. But there is also a clear case for Congress to take action on behalf of those who came here as children and are now contributing to society and the American economy. (9/14/2017) Read It Here!

March 2017

Northern Virginia Morning Briefing on Judge Gorsuch —
President Trump has nominated Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court of the United States to replace the late Antonin Scalia. But who is Neil Gorsuch? What is his temperament and legal philosophy. Come learn from two who are uniquely qualified to comment: Dr. Henry Butler, Dean of the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University and John Adams, who clerked for Justice Clarence Thomas and clerked for U.S. District Court Judge David Sentelle, as did Judge Gorsuch. Just added to this briefing is Jamil Jaffer, who clerked for Judge Gorsuch and was a member of the team preparing Gorsuch for the Senate confirmation hearings. The briefing will be held at 7:30 am, at JR's Stockyard's Inn, at 8130 Watson Street, in McLean. Registration is free, but RSVPs are necessary. To register, click here!

June 2016

Jefferson Luncheon Draws 70 to Hear Davis and Frost on 'The Partisan Divide' —
Nearly 70 of Virginia's top business, government, and academic leaders packed a Thomas Jefferson Institute luncheon at the state capitol to hear former Republican Congressman Tom Davis and former Democratic Congressman Martin Frost discuss their recent book, A Partisan Divide. Davis and Frost, who headed their respective party's congressional campaign committees, argued that Congress is broken and incapable of reforming itself without a good kick in the seat from the American public. Davis is a member of the Jefferson Institute's Board of Directors, and the luncheon was co-sponsored by Virginia FREE.